Water-wheel



UNITED sra'rns Partnr arriba.

EBENEZER TUTTLE, OF CANAAN, MAINE.

WATER-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,418, dated February 12, 1861.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, Eisnnnznn TUTTLE, of Canaan, in the county of Somerset and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Horizontal Iilater-lheelg and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of 'the same, reference being had to Jthe annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1, is a vertical central section of my invention. Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same taken in the line fr, Fig. l. F ig. 3, a detached top view of the wheel. Fig. 4, a detached view of an annular plate pertaining to the same. j

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

'llo enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

l1, represents a circular bed plate at the center of which there is a circular opening a.

B, is a bar which is attached to the under side of the bed plate and extends centrally across the opening a. To this bar B, there is attached an inverted hollow cone B, in which at its bottom there is a point or bearing for the wheel shaft C, see Fig. 1.

The wheel D, is formed of two rims or annular plates b, placed one above the other with the buckets c, between them. The buckets c, have a tangential position relatively with the rims b, b', as shown clearly in Fig. 3, and the wheel is connected to its shaft by arms (Z, which extend from the rim to a hub e, the latter being se-v cured on the shaft C. The lower rim b, of the wheel is a trifle wider than the upper one Y), the former b, extending out to the ends of the buckets the other `rim b, not projecting over on the buckets and the latter are consequently provided with tops or covers c, on which an annular plate D, is placed, said plate extending out to the edges of the buckets as shown in Fig. 1.

On the wheel shaft C, there is placed a hollow shaft E, to the lower end of which there is attached a cylindrical gate F, which encompasses the wheel D. The lower edge of the gate F, has angular horizontal plates f, attached which correspond with and fit in the spaces between the buckets as shown Athe upper rim or disk.

clearly in Fig. 2. The lower rim ZJ', of the wheel D, has a vertical flanch g, attached and this flanch fits within a ring 7L, which surrounds the opening a, in the bed plate A.

On t-he upper' end of the cone B, there is placed a ring z', which fits within the upper rim b, of the wheel. These rings serve to prevent leakage. The cone extends up within the wheel as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

'Ihe hollow shaft E, passes through a bearing y', at the intersection of arms 7c, the outer ends of which are secured to the tops of uprights Z, on the circular bed plate A. Toone of these arms 7c, an upright Z is attached having at its upper end the fulcrum of a lever Gr. The inner end of the lever Gr, is forked and provided with pins m, which lit in a groove a, in the shaft E.

The operation is as follows. The wheel and of course all of the within described parts are fitted in a pen-stock and the gate F, is raised and vlowered by actuating the lever G, and more or less water admitted to the wheel as desired. The horizontal projections of the gate virtually vary the capacity of the buckets and cause the water to act upon the buckets in a solid body and consequently in the most efficient manner. It will be seen of course that the gate rotates with the wheel.

The cone B, being stationary and not connected with the wheel, the latter presents but a small surface to be acted upon by the pressure of the water above.

I am aware that the use of circular gates is old. and this is not what I claim. But I believe it to be new to combine the horizontal adjustable plates 7 with the buckets of the wheel and the gate, in the manner hereinbefore described. By this improvement the size of the wheel is changed at pleasure. The plates 7c it will be observed ft into the buckets and serve the purpose of The water cannot rise above the plates; so that when a small wheel, or a wheel with small buckets is wanted, it is only necessary to lower the lgate and bring down the plates f, and thus reduce the working surface of the bucket to the desired width. If it is desired to increase the size of the wheel it is only necessary to raise the gate and thereby elevate the plates f; whereupon the working size of the buckets is augmented. The gate and gate F of a Water Wheel, substantially in the plates as before stated may be regulated by manner and for the purpose herein shown 10 hand or by a governor. and described.

Having thus described my invention what 5 I claim as new and desire to secure by Letl EBENEZER TUTTLE ters Patent is- Witnesses:

The combination of the horizontal ad- JAMES VRIGHT, justable plates f, With the buckets c, and V. R. TUTTLE. 

